It’s Not Fair!

Matthew 20:1-16

Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost

“It’s not fair!” is something I have heard as a parent from my children. It is usually said when one of them doesn’t get their way or when someone else gets something they think they deserve. And it is often associated with pouting and crying.

When we get older we grow out of this, right? Well maybe not. Look at all the lawsuits out there that are based on someone not getting what they think is rightfully theirs. We want things to be fair. And on an earthly level this concept is true. I work six hours I should get paid for six hours. If I work only one I should get paid for only one. This kind of fairness is based on our merit or deeds. “I get what I deserve,” is a good work ethic.

Today we will explore Jesus’ words in Matthew chapter 20. Here Jesus is telling a parable to the crowd that was following Him. Jesus used parables as a way to make a point.  He would draw the crowd into a story that would be familiar to them and then there would be something that was out of place in the story that would make people think. This parable does that.

Jesus begins His parable with a landowner who goes out and hires workers to work in His vineyard. A side note here; when Jesus uses a vineyard in His parables about the kingdom of God it often refers to the church or the mission field. We sometimes make these two concepts different (Church is here in this building and the mission field is outside) but I think the two go together. We are the church in mission (workers in the vineyard). Keep this in mind as we go through this parable.

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.” Nothing unusual here. This was a common practice in Jesus day. If you didn’t have a steady job you would go to the market, or town center, in the morning and wait for someone to come and hire them. Jesus continues the parable.

“And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’” Again, nothing unusual happening here except for the fact that the landowner continues to hire workers. Either he had a lot to get done or he just felt sorry for those who had not been hired. The people listening to this parable would have been able to picture this scene and would actually be anticipating the next part, each working getting paid fairly for their work. But here comes the first twist in the parable.

“And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you

not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go.” The crowd listening to Jesus may now be in shock.  How dare this landowner treat his workers this way! What right does he have to pay those who worked only an hour the same as those who worked all day? This landowner is being unfair. Call the Better Business Bureau or contact the Labor Union! The crowd must be thinking, “Jesus must be showing the unfairness of this owner, he will get his punishment soon.” But here comes the final twist to this parable and the point Jesus is trying to convey.

“I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ So the last will be first, and the first last.”[1] What is going on here? How could Jesus condone this practice of unfairness? This is probably what the people (and maybe even us as we first approach this parable) were thinking. And yet this parable is not about fair labor laws or equal treatment of workers. It is about the landowner and his right to give generously.

Parables are earthly stories with heavenly meaning. The spiritual side to this story is that the landowner is God the Father. And the point is that God give out of His abundant blessing, not according to our worthiness but according to His graciousness.

“It’s Not Fair!” is right when it comes to how God treats us. The Bible says that God has a perfect and holy standard that He expects us to live by. It goes on to tell us how we have failed to live up to those standards (we all have sinned). And it goes on to say that the consequence for our sin or failure is damnation, destruction, hell and God’s entire wrath. We deserve death!

Too often we lean on our merits, especially in the church, and we forget that we deserve nothing from God. But thanks be to God that he doesn’t treat us as we deserve, or what is ours fairly. But He comes to us out of His love and compassion. He sent his only begotten Son to take the punishment we deserve so that we can have forgiveness of our sins and new life in Christ. What an undeserved, gracious gift from God!!

A man dies and goes to heaven. Of course, St. Peter meets him at the Pearly Gates. St. Peter say's, “Here's how it works. You need 100 points to make it into heaven. You tell me all the good things you've done, and I give you a certain number of points for each item, depending on how good it was. When you reach 100 points, you get in.”

“Okay,” the man says, “I was married to the same women for 50 years and never cheated on her, even in my heart.”

“That's wonderful,” says St. Peter, “that's worth three points.”

“Three points?” He says. “Well, I have been a life long Lutheran, baptized as an infant, top of my class in confirmation, and even served on many boards at my church.”

“Terrific!” says St. Peter. “That's certainly worth a point.”

“One point? Well I started a soup kitchen in my city and worked in a shelter for homeless veterans.”

“Fantastic, that's good for two more points,” he says.

“Two points!” The man cries. “At this rate the only way to get into heaven is by the grace of God!”

St. Peter smiled. “There's your 100 points! Come on in!”

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9, ESV) [2]

One other thought with this parable. We are called to be Christ-like. How often do we pick and choose whom we share the Gospel with based on their “worthiness”? Next time we discriminate on who hears the Gospel from our lips may we remember that we are undeserving of God’s grace too. We are called to share the Gospel with all the world.

I am glad that we have a God who doesn’t treat us “fairly” but comes to us in His grace and mercy and showers on us His loving-kindness through Jesus Christ. “It’s not fair!” but isn’t it great! Amen.

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[1]The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (electronic ed.) (Mt 20:1-24). Wheaton: Good News Publishers.

[2] The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (electronic ed.). Wheaton: Good News Publishers.